*Breeds and Breeding System of Indigenous and Crossbred Goats in Nepal DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.82821*

*Goats (Capra) - From Ancient to Modern*

maturity are common features of these goats.

*Comparative productive performance of exotic breeds of goat in Nepal.*

productive and reproductive performance is still to come.

The Barbari goats are a meat-type breed that is found in Mathura District of Uttar Pradesh, in addition to Gujrat, Jhelum, and Sargodha districts in Punjab Province. Barbari goats are popular for its compact and small body with average adult weight ranging from 23–36 kg (**Table 6**). Body color is mainly white with brownish red spots and coat is short. The head is small, with small upward-pointing ears and small curled horns. Does have good reproductive performance and produce well in intensive system and at dry areas. Average age at first kidding and kidding interval in Barbari goats is 588 and 274 days, respectively. Triple kidding and early

**Production performances Jamnapari Barbari Beetal** Birth weight (kg) 4.3 1.7 2.8 Yearling wt (kg) 29.6 14.5 15.0 Adult weight (kg) 44.7 38.0 35.8 22.6 59.1 35.0 Body length (cm) 77.4 75.2 70.4 56.2 85.5 70.4 Hearth girth (cm) 79.5 76.1 75.5 64.3 86.0 73.7 Wither height (cm) 78.2 75.2 70.7 56.2 91.6 77.1

The Sirohi and Ajmeri goats are a meat-type breed that is found in Sirohi District of Rajasthan. This breed also extends to Palanpur in Gujarat. Mature males weigh around 50 kg but females weigh only 25–30 kg (**Table 6**). These are compact, medium-sized animals. Coat color is predominantly brown, with light or dark brown patches; a very few individuals are completely white. Most animals are wattled. Ears are flat and leaf-like and medium-sized and have a drooping ear length of 18.8 cm. Both sexes have small horns, curved upward and backward. Tail is medium in length and curved upward. Udder is small and round, with small teats placed laterally. Some commercial farms and lead farmers have imported this breed and crossbred with Khari and Terai goats, but the information regarding the

The Boer is an improved breed with some infusion of European, Angora, and Indian goat breeding developed in South Africa in the early 1900s. The Boer goat is primarily a meat goat with several adaptations to the region in which it was developed. It is a horned breed with lop ears and showing a variety of color patterns. The most common color of this breed is white body with red head and large, muscular frame. The Boer goat is being popular for its browsing ability and limited impact on the grass cover. Producing weaning rates in excess of 160%, the Boer goat doe is a low-maintenance animal that has sufficient milk to rear a kid that is early maturing. The mature buck weighs between 110 and 135 kg and does between 90 and 100 kg. Performance records for this breed indicate exceptional individuals are capable of average daily gains over 200 g/day in feedlot. More standard performance would be 150–170 g/day.

*4.2.2 Barbari*

*Source: [28].*

**Table 6.**

*4.2.3 Sirohi/Ajmeri*

**64**

*4.2.4 Boer*

The ovulation rate for Boer goats ranges from one to four eggs/doe with an average of 1.7. A kidding rate of 200% is common for this breed. Puberty is reached early, usually about 6 months for the males and 10–12 months for the females. The Boer goat also has an extended breeding season making possible three kids every 2 years.

It was introduced in Nepal from a private sector to improve growth performance of local goats. Recently, projects funded by the World Bank (WB) and International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development specifically Agriculture Food Security Project (AFSP) and Kisan Ka Lagi Unnat Bui Bijan Karyakram (KUBK), respectively, are working on producing crossbreds with the local Khari/Hill goat, government, and breeders' farmers

*Different exotic goat breeds available in Nepal (photo courtesy: Animal Breeding Division, NARC).*

of mid- and far-western regions. Goat Research Station, Bandipur; RARS, Khajura; and GDF, Budhitola, are the government-owned farms with nucleus herd of Boer goat in Nepal. However, a comprehensive study on survivability, growth, and reproductive performances as well as efficiency (economics) needs to be investigated.

### *4.2.5 Saanen*

Saanen goats are dairy goats originating from Switzerland, in the Saanen Valley. Saanen does are heavy milk producers (on an average of 4 L/day) and usually yield 3–4% milk fat. It is medium to large in size (female weighing approximately 65–70 kg and males weighing about 80–90 kg) with rugged bone and plenty of vigor. Saanen goats are white or light cream in color, with white being preferred. The hairs are short and fine, although a fringe over the spine and thighs is often present. Ears are erect and alertly carried, preferably pointing forward. The face is straight or dished. A tendency toward having a Roman nose is being discriminated against. The breed is sensitive to excessive sunlight and performs best in cooler conditions.

### *4.2.6 Beetal*

The Beetal is a breed used for meat and milk production found in Punjab, Pakistan, and India. The Beetal is usually black and the males have long twisting horns. The breed is similar to the Jamnapari but smaller. The adult male weighs around 60 kg and females are 35–40 kg (**Table 6**). The coat is short and lustrous. The face line is convex, with a typical Roman nose but not as prominent as in Jamnapari. Ears are long and flat, curled, and drooping with ear length of 24.8 cm. The udder is large and well developed, with large conical teats. Pictorial presentation of popular exotic breeds in Nepal is provided in **Figure 2**.
